Category: Culture Articles

Gantan Sai is the Shinto New Year Holiday. Shinto is an ancient Japanese religion and neither does it have a sacred scripture, nor does it have any founder. It does not have only one God but is deeply rooted in nature. At present, there are about 4 million followers of the Shinto religion around the world.

The Shinto Religion

The word Shinto refers to the way of the Gods . Being the native religion of Japan, Shinto was once its state religion. It involves the worship of the Shinto Gods or Kami . Kami are the pure spirits of Nature.

The four affirmations that the Shintos follow are:

• Love of Nature, when all natural objects are worshipped
• Tradition and Family, as the family preserves the traditions
• Matsuri, a festival honoring the spirits
• Physical Cleanliness, where they must keep clean

However, after the World War II, Shinto lost much of its prominence. It is interesting to note that in the Shinto religion, a waterfall or an irregularly shaped rock can be a kami . The kami though divine are very close to humanity. They, like us, live in the same world, make the same mistakes and feel and think in the same way as us. Shinto followers or even people from other religions are considered as kami after their death.

Some modern scholars profess that Shinto should be actually referred to as kami worship . Early ceremonies were conducted before rocks or corpses, which formed the altar. There was no idol or representation of the kami , as they were regarded to be formless and pure. Shrines were built for the kami only after the arrival of Buddhism.

The Shinto rituals of kami worship have been taken from the Chinese Taoism and Confucianism. Gradually, the syncretism between Shinto and Buddhism went on to become the main feature of the Japanese religion.

Observation of the Gantan Sai

On this New Year s Day, the Shintos visit the shrines, mostly at midnight. They pray for the renewal of their heart, prosperity and health in the year to come. The Japanese celebrate the 7 day holiday by making visits to their friends and family to express their good wishes for the year to come. They also wear their finest clothes on this day.

The Shinto New Year s Day, Gantan Sai is also known as Shogatu.

The celebration of the Indian festival, Navratri or the nine nights goes on for nine days.
The nine-day long festival starts on the first day of Ashwina (the bright fortnight). It usually occurs in October.

The nine Goddesses worshipped during the nine days are Durga, Bhairavi, Amba, Bhadrakali, Sarvamangala, Bhavani, Lalita, Chandika and Annapurna.

Significance Of Navaratri

The first day of Navratri witnesses the sowing of barley seeds into a small mud bed. Three days are each devoted to the worship of Maa Durga (the Goddess of Valor), Maa Saraswati (the Goddess of Knowledge) and Maa Lakshmi (the Goddess of Wealth). A yagna (holy fire) is performed on the 8th day.

The celebration culminates in Mahanavami, when the Kanya Puja is performed. This day witnesses the worship of nine young girls depicting the nine forms of Goddess Durga. Each of the nine forms of Durga creates the part of a new creation on each of the nine days of Navaratri.

Celebration During Navaratri

During Navratri, the Gujaratis are engaged in traditional dances like the Dandiya-Raas and Garba.

The women dance in a circle and sing the traditional songs or Garba. The Dandiya Raas is played with dandiyas or wooden sticks. Many cultural societies, youth social groups and housing committees play the dandiya and garba. For this, adorned mandaps are set up. Garbas are also performed at Mumbai. Navratri is the largest Hindu festival of Nepal.

There is color all around during Navratri. Certain parts of India perform the Ram-Leela , which is a stage play of Ramayana (the saga of Lord Rama) during the festival.

The tenth day that falls after the nine-day celebrations is the Vijaya Dashami , the victory day over all evil. It is believed by the Hindus that Lord Rama killed Ravana, the demon on Dassera. This day is marked with the burning of the effigies of Ravana all through India.

There are devotees who observe fasts on Navratri. Prayers are also offered for the protection of property and health. This entire festive period is a time for purification and introspection. This can be an auspicious time for beginning new ventures. The festival generates happiness to all. Navratri is an exciting festival for the youth and is full of devotion for the old.

The Hindi New Year is a by-product of the cultural diversity of India that is also reflected on the different calendars of the country. The calendars being used for the religious festivals include different calendars from Buddhists, Jains and Hindus. The Muslims follow the Islamic calendar, but the government mostly uses the Gregorian calendar for administrative purposes.

There was a huge confusion over the different calendars in use, but the government decided to put a stop to it in 1957.

The National calendar of India

The Calendar Reform Committee set up India s present day national calendar in 1957. It is a lunisolar calendar, which has leap years coinciding with the leap years of the Gregorian calendar. The months in the calendar have been named after the conventional Indian months. This calendar came into being with the Saka Era in Chaitra 1, 1879 (March 22, 1957).

Significance of the Saka Era

The original period for the Indian civil calendar is the Saka Era. The Saka Era is a traditional epoch of the Indian chronology, which began with the ascension of King Salivahana to the throne. The era is also important for the most number of astronomical works in Sanskrit literature (post 500 A.D.).

The Hindu calendar or the Panchang

The Panchang is the Hindu calendar and is auspicious to the Hindus in calculating the festival dates and for performing the rituals. Originally based on the moon movements, the Hindu calendar was inspired by the Greek and Babylonian astronomical ideas. This made both lunar and solar movements considerable in the calculation of dates.

The Hindu calendar has 12 months in a lunar year. A lunar month will be having two fortnights and would begin with the new moon or the amavasya .

The Indian National Calendar has regional variations in spite of being the official calendar for Hindus. Thus, there are a series of Hindi New Year celebrations in different regions of India.

The New Years all over India

In Nepal, the Hindus celebrate New Year on the third week of March. The Hindu Kashmiris have their New Year in the second week of March. However, the Hindus of the south Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka celebrate the New Year in late March or early April.

For the Bengalis, the New Year falls around mid-April. It is the Poila Baishakh. It is a state holiday in West Bengal and a national holiday for Bangladesh.

The New Year Celebrations

The Hindi New Year celebrations include the cleaning of the houses and the buying of new clothes. In certain parts of India, the New Year celebrations include the making of the rangoli designs. The people visit the houses of friends and relatives for exchanging greetings, gifts and sweets.

So, the Hindi New Year arising from the Indian National Calendar is quite complex, due to the regional differences that are created in the New Year dates.

The Holi is a famous Hindu spring festival, which is celebrated in India. Holi or the festival of colors is also referred to as the Phagwah (Bhojpuri), Doljatra or Boshonto Utshob (Bengali). The celebration occurs in Spring the season of love.

The festival of Holi occurs for two days in the end of February or the starting of March. According to the Hindu calendar, the celebration takes place in Phalgun Purnima (Puranmashi or the Full Moon).

Significance of Holi

According to Hindu theology, the king of the demons named Hiranyakashipu was granted a boon by Brahma the creator, which assured him that he would never be killed by a man or an animal; on day or at night; on earth or on sky; by weapons; inside the home or outside. He then became arrogant and attacked the Earth and the Heavens.

However, Hiranyakashipu s son, Prahlad was devoted to Lord Vishnu (the sustainer). After failing to kill his son, Hiranyakashipu commanded Prahlad to sit on a pyre and on the lap of his sister, Holika. The fire would not affect Holika, as she would be wearing a shawl that would not let fire affect her. Everyone was surprised to witness that the shawl flew from Holika to cover Prahlad. Holika was burnt and this is observed as Holi.

Celebration of Holi

On the first day of the festival, bonfires are lit at night to resemble the burning Holika. The second day of the festival is called the Dhulandi, which requires the people to hurl colored water and powder at each other.

However, this activity had a scientific and medical significance, in erasing the occurrence of cold and viral fever that is normally brought in with the spring season. The traditional colors had kumkum, neem, bilva, haldi and other medicinal herbs, which are prescribed by the Ayurvedic doctors in eradicating viral fever and cold.

Mothers make new clothes for their daughters who are married. Colored powder or the gulal is bought. Long syringes and pichkaris are prepared to spray colored water. Colored water balloons are filled and thrown at each other. Colours resemble the passionate rhythm of life.

Food and drink

The food of the festival consists papri, gujjia, kofta curry and kanji ke vade. The special drink of the festival is the thandai , which sometimes contain bhang or the Cannabis sativa . In the later evening, the people invite their friends and relatives and often indulge in feasting and celebrations.

A few days later, Rangapanchami occurs on a Panchami and it depicts the end of the ceremonies that involves colors.

This festival is not predominantly religious; the Sikh and Hindu community celebrates Holi together in Punjab. In Punjab, the festival includes many musical instruments and dholis that are enjoyed by both the adults and children.

Celebration at Mathura and Vrindavan

Lord Krishna grew up in Vrindvan and Mathura. Here, the ceremonies take place for 16 days. The last day is Rangpanchmi celebrating the divine love of Radha for Lord Krishna. Holi is famous for the pranks played by Lord Krishna on the gopis . Krishna complained to his mother of his dark complexion and Radha s fair complexion, to which Krishna s mother put color to Radha s face.

However, Holi is a festival that colors and makes your mood vibrant.

Though, Maha Shivaratri is celebrated all over India, it is the most popular in central, eastern and northern India. The name of this Hindu festival means the night of Shiva. Maha Shivaratri is celebrated on the 13th or 14th day of the dark half in the month of Phalgun in the Hindu calendar. The ceremonies of Maha Shivratri usually occur at night.

This festival takes place in the honor of Lord Shiva. It is more of a celebration to mark the marriage of Goddess Parvati to Lord Shiva. The night also recalls the night when the Tandav (the dance of destruction) was performed by Lord Shiva. In Andhra Pradesh, devotees of Lord Shiva swarm the Sri Kalahasteshwara Temple at Kalahasti. They also gather at the Bharamarambha Malikarjunaswamy Temple at Srisailam.

About Lord Shiva

The Hindu Trinity comprises of the Creator – Lord Brahma, the Preserver Lord Vishnu and the Destroyer and Re-producer of life Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva is also known by names like Bholenath, Shankar, Mahesh, Umanath, Nataraj and other names. For some devotees Shiva is the Absolute and for others he is the Lord of Yoga. For the Hindus, he is the most sought-after deity, when it comes to the granting of wishes.

To make mankind aware of the presence of Eternal Time, Lord Shiva manifested himself as Lingam on the fourth day of the dark night of Magha (month of February-March).

The Legend of King Chitrabhanu

King Chitrabhanu was a hunter in his previous birth. He made a living by killing and selling birds and animals. One night, he was trapped in the forest and was unable to return home. He climbed a bael tree and hung the dead deer he had killed that day onto the tree. He was hungry and thirsty, and at the same time weeping for his wife and children at home who were also starving and waiting for his return. In order to pass the time, he started plucking the bael leaves and dropping them on the ground.

He returned home the next day. He sold the deer and brought food for his family. As he was going to break his fast, he realized that a beggar had come begging for food. He served the food to the stranger and then started having his food.

During his death, two messengers of Shiva came to take his soul to the abode of Lord Shiva. For the first time, he understood that he had earned the merit due to his unconscious worship of the Lord Shiva at the night of the Maha Shivaratri. He got to know that the leaves he dropped fell on the lingam and his tears washed the lingam. He unconsciously fasted all that day and night. This led to his unconscious worship of the Lord.

The King enjoyed the divine bliss at the Abode of the Lord for many ages and was reborn as Chitrabhanu.

The Celebration of Maha Shivratri

The devotees of Lord Shiva observe a fast on this day. The Shiva Lingam is worshipped by washing it with milk, curd, rosewater and honey all through the night. The chant of the mantra, Om Namah Shivaya also continues the entire night.

Offerings of bael leaves to the lingam are considered to be sacred as it is believed that the Goddess Lakshmi resides in them.

Hymns praising Lord Shiva are sung with great devotion and enthusiasm. It is a popular belief that whoever utters the name of Lord Shiva at Maha Shivaratri with devotion will be freed from his sins.

The Makar Sankranti is a famous festival of the Hindus and the Nepalese. It is celebrated in mid-winter and marks the transition of the sun from the Sagittarius to Capricorn during the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Every twelve years the popular Kumbh Mela is held during Makar Sankranti where people from all over the country flock, to dedicate pujas in the banks of the River Ganges.

During the time of Uttarayan , it is said that father Sun visits the house of his son and this time marks the strong bonding between the father and son. It is also said that during this time Lord Vishnu slayed terrorism of the Ashuras and Bhagirath offered Tarpan (praying for the forefathers) to Ganga to liberate his ancestors from the curse. The basic representation is simple, that even if we are severed from the roots but with the passing of time we soon get back to the good elements, which are present in us.

The main rituals of Makar Sankranti are that people taking dip in the Ganges or any other river to wash off their sins and attain punya (freeing oneself from sins). They also offer tarpan for their ancestors. But before performing all these rituals it is necessary to pray early in the morning, before sunrise. The farmers also dedicate special pujas as a mark of thanks giving for good harvest.

When does the Festival Start?

Unlike the other festivals, which are based on the lunar calendar, the Hindus celebrate the Makar Sankranti based on the solar calendar. The festival shows the sun s sojourn to the northern hemisphere. Usually the first six months of the year shares long days but short nights, whereas the next six months share short days and long nights. The first period is known as the Uttarayan, which means north, that is, the sun moves north from the center of the sky. The second period is famously known as the Dakshinaayaria, which means south, that is, the sun moves southwards during this time. The celebration of the Makar Sankranti starts on the first day of Uttarayan.

The Celebrations

The food prepared during Makar Sankranti enables to keep the body warm and produce energy. Since the puja is undertaken during the winter times therefore the food is really helpful. The state of Andhra Pradesh in Southern India celebrates the festival with much pomp and vigor for three consecutive days.

In West Bengal, Makar Sankranti is popularly known as the Gangasagar Mela . People flock at the banks of the river Ganges and take dip to attain punya . In Gujarat the festival is celebrated by flying kites in the sky. In Maharashtra, people exchange Tilachir Ladoo, which actually tastes very sweet. The women wear a kind of black sari, which is known as the Chandrakala.

The Punjabis commemorate the occasion by lighting a bonfire and throwing rice, sweets and sugarcane. The next day they celebrate Maghi in which they perform the Bhangra dance. The Assamese celebrate Bhogali Bihu during this time. In Northern part of India, the Kumbh Mela (the largest fair in the world) is held at the confluence of Yamuna, Ganges and Saraswati Rivers. In Kerala, the people celebrate Pongal in which a cow or bathe, then a tilak is put on it and beads and ornaments are put round the horns and the neck. Thus, the Makar Sankranti is celebrated with much dedication and faith all over India.

Guru Tegh Bahadur martyrdom is observed by the Sikh community by organizing processions, singing hymns in Gurudwaras (Sikh Temples) and organizing sermons, kirtans (religious hymns) and lectures. It falls during the months of November or December.

The Life of Guru Tegh Bahadur

Guru Tegh Bahadur embraced death to save humanity from the tyranny of Aurangzeb – the Mughal emperor. Teg Bahadur, which means master of the sword , was undoubtedly the master of the spiritual sword. He was the ninth of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism.

Guru Tegh Bahadur was the youngest of five sons of Guru Har Gobind, sixth guru of Sikhs. He was born at Amritsar in Punjab, India on 1st April 1621 and became Guru on March 20th,1675. Guru Gobind fought for the cause of religious freedom.

It is said that when he was born, his father Guru Har Gobind asked priests Baba ji and Baba Gurudas to bless the child. They bowed to the child and touched his feet. Perplexed by the action of priests one of the followers, tried to know the mystery. Guru Gobind, explained, this child was sent for a great mission who would sacrifice his life for the cause of humanity.

His father used to wear two swords: Mini (political sovereignty) and Piri (Spiritual- sovereignty). When his father first took him in his hand, he caught Piri, truly echoing his father s statement.

Guru Tegh Bahadur scripted three steps to detach oneself from the worldly attachment (Maya)

• Naam mediate on God s name (Wahe Guru)
• Daan to share one s earnings
• Isnaan to take a bath before morning prayers

Aurangzeb forcibly converted many Hindus into Muslims and adopted zero tolerance policy against Hindus. Guru Tegh Bahadur could not tolerate this and stood for the cause of religious freedom. He saved Kashmiri pandits from Aurangzeb terror.

He was asked by Aurangzeb to convert to Islam or face death. The man, who fought for the cause, kissed death and was beheaded in 1675 in Delhi. The site of his execution was turned later into Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Chadni Chowk. Lakhi Shah Vanjara, his follower burnt his own house to cremate his Guru s body, which is now known as Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, Delhi. Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom is a heart breaking instance of religious tolerance and equality.

Guru Tegh Bahadur became the Guru on March 20, 1665 following the footsteps of his grand nephew. He adorned the sacred throne of Guru Nanak Sahib from1664 to1675 and composed one hundred and fifteen hymns. He also wrote poetry, which is included in Guru Granth Sahib.

He traveled several places of pilgrimage like Allahbad, Varanasi, Gaya and Jagganath Puri and others. He inspired his followers to derive strength from truth, worship, sacrifice and knowledge. He taught the essence of freedom from attachment fear and discipline. He founded the city of Anandpur, which became a center of Sikhism.

Before his death he appointed his son Gobind Rai, who later came to be known as Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of Sikh. Guru Tegh Bahadur martyrdom epitomized the values he preached.

Guru Nanak Dev Sahib birthday is celebrated by Sikhs on 15th Kartik Puranmashi (full moon day of the Kartik month). The founder and first Nanak of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev Sahib was born on April 15, 1469.

About Guru Nanak

Mehta Kalyan Das was Guru Nanak s father and he was the Chief Accountant and agent of Rai Bular. Guru Nanak s mother, Mata Tripta was a very pious and simple woman. Nanak s elder sister Nanki, always appreciated him.

Right from childhood, Nanak was extra-ordinary. He had the gift of a meditative mind and rational thinking. He acquired the knowledge of Hindi and Sanskrit at the young age of seven. By the age of 16, Nanak became the best-learned youth in his region. He married Mata Sulakhni ji and had two sons, Lakshmi Das and Sri Chand.

Nanak s service to Humanity

In August 1507 and at the age of 38, Nanak received a calling from God to serve humanity, after bathing in Vain Nadi (near Sultanpur Lodhi). He realized that there is no Hindu and no Muslim .

He then made long travels to preach his divine doctrine of Sikhism. His four long tours covered various religious destinations in India and abroad and are known as the Char Udasis of Guru Nanak. The places he visited for preaching included Haridwar, Gaya, Prayag, Varanasi, Dhubri, Patna, Puri, Dacca, Mathura, Ujjain, Lahore, Bilaspur, Kargil, Tibet, Ladakh, Ceylon, Turkey, Kabul and many other religious places.

The Muslim holy places he visited include Mecca, Medina, Son Miani, Peshawar Sakhar, Baghdad and more. Guru Nanak appointed committed followers and made the people conceive the basic tenets of Sikhism. He successfully sowed the seeds across India and abroad.

When Babar attacked India in 1520, numerous innocent people were killed and children and women were captured. Guru Nanak disapproved of this act vehemently and was arrested. Gradually, Babar realized the heinous deed committed by him and released Nanak along with the other prisoners. Before his death in 1539, Guru Nanak established the Second Nanak Bhai Lehna ji (Guru Angad Sahib).

Guru Nanak upheld the cause of the poor, downtrodden and the women. He attacked both the theocracy of the Muslims and the Hindu caste system. He was also a good poet and a musician. He wrote many hymns and composed a lot of tunes.

Nanak s Preaching

During his lifetime, Guru Nanak abandoned the path of renunciation (Tyaga). He also rejected the Hindu caste system and the authority of the Vedas. He led a simple life, free from the gross materialism. The basic concepts of Sikhism installed by Nanak are the services of mankind Sewa, Satsang, Kirtan and Faith in the One and Only God.

Nanak had a new vision of God as universal, supreme, truthful and all powerful. He preached that God is all knowing, infinite, all-giver, omnipotent and true.

Celebration

Guru Nanak Dev Sahib birthday like all the birthdays of the 10 Sikh gurus is called a Gurpurab . Sikhs pray and celebrate on the Gurpurabs. The celebration for the gurpurabs continues for three days. Usually, two days prior to the birthday, the Akhand Path or the forty-eight hour non-stop reading session of the holy book, Guru Granth Sahib is held in the Gurdwaras.

A day before the Guru Nanak Dev Sahib birthday the Panj Pyaras or the five beloved ones organize a procession. Carrying the Sikh flag, they head the procession. The procession includes the singing of hymns and the playing of different tunes by the brass bands. Swordsmanship is also displayed.

After the morning hymns and the exposition of the scripture on the Gurpurab day, the Sikhs enjoy a community lunch arranged by the Gurdwaras. This activity symbolizes the offering of food for bhakti (devotion) and seva (service).

The celebrations are the best in Punjab and Haryana. The Guru Nanak Dev Sahib birthday or the Guru Nanak Jayanti is celebrated by the Sikhs all through the world.

Dussehra is celebrated by the Hindus. It is the last day of Durga Puja or Navaratri. Generally, this day falls in the month of October. The literal meaning of Dussehra means taking away of ten sins. This festival celebrates the defeat of Ravana, the evil, by Lord Rama, the virtuous.

During the nine days preceding Dussehra, Ramlila is held where the legend of life of Lord Rama is enacted. On the tenth day big effigies of Ravana is set afire.

Celebration Of Dussehra In Different Parts Of India

In West Bengal goddess Durga is worshipped in gorgeous Puja Pandals (temporary temples). Goddess Durga is the supreme female deity. The Durga Puja is celebrated with pomp and glory with different montages and collages as decoration. Creativity and celebration fever run high. This is a time for enjoyment for the tummy too. During the festival the region gets infested with stalls offering lip-smacking delicacies and guests are treated with traditional sweets and gifts.

In Gujarat, Navaratri is celebrated with vivacious garba and dandiyaras dances.

Mysore, the city of palaces of Karnataka wakes up in royal style during the ten-day Dussehra festival. Various lights illuminate the Mysore Palace. The calm city cheers up with majestic processions, a torch light parade and dance and music. The protector deity of Karnataka is goddess Chamunda, whose mount is a caparisoned elephant.

In Himachal Pradesh, idols of local deities are carried round the town in a colorful procession. Homage is paid to the main deity Raghunathji. A weeklong colorful fair is held at the hill town of Kullu.

In Varanasi, occurs the most extravagant climax of the legend of Rama. The huge images of Ravana are set aflame.

The Legends That Tells The Tale Of Dussehra

In Eastern, Western and Southern India the festival of Navaratri celebrates the death of the demon Mahishasura by goddess Durga, also revered by the name of Chamundeshwari or Mahishasura Mardini.

In North India, Dussehra celebrates the victory of Lord Rama on Ravana, the ruler of Lanka. Ravana abducted Sita Devi, the wife of Rama and held her captive in Ashokavana in Lanka. Rama with the help of his brother Laxman and allies like Sukhrib, Hanuman and others killed Ravana. Lord Rama worshipped goddess Durga for the preceding nine days prior to the tenth day of his triumph.

The word Dus means ten ; it is the day of annihilation of 10 evils. Ravana s ten faces are the symbol of ten evil facets of human life. And the death of Ravana by Rama signifies the death of evil in the hand of virtue.

Dussehra is the time for us to get victory over our evil sides and celebrate the goodness of human life.

Diwali, Deepavali or Divali is a significant festival of the Hindus. Deep means light and Diwali is the Festival of Lights where lamps are lit to celebrate the victory of good over evil inciting a new hope for mankind.

The formal name of the festival is Deepavali, in North India it is colloquially called Diwali . The celebration of the Diwali festival spreads over five consecutive days at the end of the Hindu month Ashwayuja that corresponds to the months of October or November in the Gregorian calendar. The Diwali festival arrives exactly 20 days after Dussehra.

The Origin Of the Diwali festival

There are several legends and beliefs regarding the origin of Deepavali. The most popular one says that Diwali marks the time when Lord Rama achieved victory over Ravana. Some people believe Diwali marks the day when Lord Krishna defeated Narakasura. Another story suggests Diwali as the day when Bali returned to rule the nether world obeying the order of Vishnu. The Diwali festival is probably rooted in ancient harvest celebrations.

However, the aesthetic aspect of the Diwali festival has traveled beyond the religious limitations and is enjoyed by all Indians regardless of their religious affinities.

The Five-Day Diwali Celebration

In North India, Diwali is celebrated for 5 days. Divali is a new moon day, which marks the last day of a 15 day half lunar month. The second half lunar month starts off from Diwali.

Dhan Teras

Dhan Teras or Dhan Trayodoshi is the 13th day of the second half of the lunar month. Dhan is wealth and Trayodoshi means 13th day . This holyday is considered auspicious for shopping.

Naraka Chaturdasi

This is the 14th day of the second half of the lunar month. Naraka means of a new era of Light and Knowledge and Chaturdasi means the 14th day .

Diwali

Diwali is the third day of the 5 days. In Diwali, the moon completely disappears and the sky becomes pitch black.

Varsha-Pratipada

Pratipada means the first. This day signifies beginning of the New Year.

Bhayiduj

This is the last day of the festival when the brothers and sisters meet and express their love and affection for each other.

Celebrating the Festival of Lights

Deepavali is a Sanskrit word, which means a range of lights that stands for victory of love over light. But if we delve deeper into Hindu philosophy we will see that Deepavali is the celebration of the Inner Light, which dispels ignorance leading to the awakening of the true self, the Atman . The celebration of Diwali may vary from region to region but the inner essence is the same, rejoicing the oneness of all beings with the Superior omnipotent Soul, the Brahaman.

The evening of the Diwali festival is gorgeous with a varied display of firecrackers. People wear new clothes and share sweets like khil (rice puffs) and patashe (sugar disks) and snacks on Diwali. The houses are cleaned and are decorated with fresh flowers. Many houses display a rangoli , a colorful pattern drawn in rice flour at the entrance. Puja of deities take place at homes and temples with offerings.

In North India, Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha are worshipped together for prosperity. Many North Indian business families start their new financial year from Diwali and open new account books. In Eastern part of India, Kali Puja (worshipping Goddess Kali) sometimes coincides with Divali.

Thus, goes on the joyous festivities of Diwali.